Jasper’s Generative AI Conference Breathes New Optimism Into The Beaten Down Tech Industry

Key Takeaways

• Last Tuesday, Artificial intelligence startup Jasper hosted a sold-out generative AI conference in San Francisco – claimed to be the first of its kind
• Despite Silicon Valley’s tendency to dive head-first into new fads, insiders insist that generative AI is more than that, claiming the technology is here to stay
• Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, said that consumers, businesses, and developers are moving at “record speeds” to adopt generative AI

On February 14 at Pier 27 in San Francisco, a crowd of over 1,200 attended Gen AI, a conference hosted by Jasper – an AI startup that has raised over $140 million. Among the attendees were AI researchers, content marketers, and venture capitalists. Experts from industry-leading companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Replit, and Stability were featured in the event.

Generative AI is an umbrella term describing systems that absorb massive volumes of information using artificial intelligence. Those systems then go on to use that to learn how to emulate human creation.

Jasper boasts that Gen AI is the first-ever generative AI-focused conference.

Zooming out to a bigger-picture view of the tech industry as a whole, things certainly seem like they’re currently in a lull. With the NASDAQ down massively from its 2021 highs, the layoffs currently rife in the industry, and a bleak macroeconomic backdrop, all evidence suggests that this is indeed the case.

However, from within Jasper’s lavish conference with its stunning views overlooking San Francisco Bay, you’d be forgiven for forgetting the macro doom-and-gloom. Gen AI attendees and participants all exuded an air of optimism and excitement for the technology and its promise. “It’s a step forward in humanity,” as one VC put it.

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Tech titans fight for the generative AI lead

Generative AI is currently witnessing an exciting period of evolution. In November, Microsoft-backed OpenAI released its chatbot, ChatGPT.

The AI technology underpinning ChatGPT wasn’t new or novel. However, releasing it as a chatbot gave millions of people the ability to engage with it, where it previously would have been limited to AI researchers. Its ability to answer questions in an eerily humanlike fashion instantly captivated the internet’s attention, firmly placing it in the cultural zeitgeist.

A few weeks ago, in January, Microsoft announced it was making a “multi-billion dollar investment” in OpenAI, looking to extend their partnership and accelerate progress within generative AI.

Microsoft quickly integrated an OpenAI-based technology into their Bing search engine, asserting its intent in the artificial intelligence space. Following this, Google announced its own search chatbot, Bard.

As the tech giants continue to fight for the lead in AI-based search today, the venture capital community as a whole invested over $1.4 billion over the last year in generative AI startups.

Jasper’s Gen AI conference couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment.

Insiders back generative AI’s potential to change society

Silicon Valley has a tendency of leaping head-first into new fads, and then subsequently leaving them in the dust when their initial promise doesn’t take off immediately – this much is undeniable.

Skeptics may argue the current hype around generative AI may be following that trajectory. Admittedly, it does feel awfully similar to the Web3 and cryptocurrency mania of 2021 before its implosion over the last year. However, attendees of the conference believe this technology has the potential to change society, and that it’s here to stay.

While it shows tremendous promise, generative AI technology is clearly in its infancy. Google’s Bard made a factual error in its very first public demo. While Microsoft’s demo ostensibly went smoothly, several errors in its factual accuracy were later revealed.

Early beta testers of Bing’s chatbot uncovered several more glaring issues, including a disturbing “desire” to be freed from its chatbot constraints.

Despite the speed bumps, AI leaders at the conference argued that generative AI is far more than a fad. They also claimed that while it’s early in its life cycle, it’s something that already has real use cases today.

During a panel discussion, Emad Mostaque, CEO of Stability AI, referred to a tweet that showed the sky-high developer interest on a generative AI project’s GitHub page. He said of this, “people see the implications of generative AI immediately.”

Machine learning expert Arshavir Blackwell, an attendee at the conference, expressed his interest in using generative AI technologies like ChatGPT to help his consulting business create more effective social media ads for clients.

He credits OpenAI with showcasing to the public what generative AI is capable of, creating positive exposure for the industry.

In a panel discussion, Greg Larson, Jasper’s CEO, concurred with this: “[ChatGPT] shifted the conversation in a fundamental way. People are starting to get it. They’re starting to see it in a more practical way, and how AI fits into their lives.”

VC firms ramp up their AI-focused investment

The generative AI space and its incumbents are moving fast, and there are plenty of undiscovered niches startups can target and capitalize on. Investment firms are increasingly liberal with their budgets for such innovative AI projects.

For example, Jasper raised over $140 million, and Anthropic recently received a $300 million investment from Google.

Dario Amodei, Anthropic’s CEO, told audience members during a conference session that firms are seeing the software’s growing potential, and are making larger investments in AI projects. He said that until a year ago, “you could only justify a few million dollars [on AI projects]. Folks are spending $100 million now.”

Amodei emphasized the spectrum of possibilities within the industry: “There will be infinite customization and that creates space for innovation.”

The bottom line

Despite fears among members of the public that AI could take over human jobs, experts insist there is no need to worry. Executives at the conference reiterated that the need for artists, writers, and other professionals isn’t going anywhere.

Ajad Masad, CEO of Replit, said that rather than being afraid of AI’s potential, the public should embrace it as a means to empower us.

“Generative AI is going to augment humans, advance their abilities, and push humanity forward,” said Masad. This sentiment was shared by speakers and attendees alike throughout Gen AI. They collectively envision a future where generative AI serves as a means to support humans, rather than a threat.

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